Episode 42 VS 7 Point 5: The Non-Corporeal Lightness of Being
by Voyager Season 7.5
Summary: The new colony on New Earth is thriving. The Ocampa that have already settled there are dedicating their new community center-and Kes finally reveals to her friends and family just what she can do and what her people will be able to do. The story is complete and will be posted weekly.
1. Chapter 1

**The Non-Corporeal Lightness of Being**

**by Jamelia**

"Of course I'll come," Kathryn Janeway had responded, when Kes asked her former captain to attend the dedication of the new meeting hall of the Ocampan People. Kathryn's pleasure at receiving the invitation was limited, however, by Kes' image in the viewscreen. It was of a very tired and aged Kes - a Kes who was probably reaching the end of her days.

The last several months had been stressful for the Ocampan woman. The migration of her people to their new homes on New Earth was still in full swing, as it would be for at least another year. Kes, as the major architect of the move, had been under tremendous pressure from the outset of the venture, despite her advanced age. She had recently celebrated her eleventh birthday; the life expectancy of the Ocampa was traditionally held to be only nine years.

:::Command . . . I mean, your husband Chakotay is also invited, of course.:::

"I'll make sure his schedule is clear that day. I'm sure he wouldn't want to miss it."

:::Thank you, Captain. Afterwards, we'll have a reception for a smaller group in one of the other meeting places in the complex, for refreshments and a short presentation. Explanation. Maybe it will turn out to be a lecture! I'm not quite sure what I should call it, but I really want you to stay for that, if you feel up to it.:::

"If you want us there, we will be, assuming our pending addition permits me to stay." Kathryn smiled, stroking the expanse of her abdomen, which jiggled from the energetic kicks of the child within, so close now to making his entrance into the world.

Kes' dazzling smile lit her face, making her suddenly appear to be years younger. :::Oh, Captain, I'm so happy for you and for Chakotay. You're going to be wonderful parents.:::

"I'm afraid we're going to be doting, overindulgent parents! That's what usually happens with a late-in-life baby, or so Dr. Zimmerman tells me!"

:::The Doctor has always been one to over-research things! Oh, if he wants to come to 'monitor your condition,' please invite him, too. I've already invited several others from the original _Voyager's_ crew, and I think he will be extremely interested in what I have to say to my people, especially at the gathering after the main event.:::

"I'm sure he'll be only too eager to attend. He never misses a chance to lecture me on something he thinks I need to be doing - when he isn't poking me, prodding me, or waving a medical tricorder up and down my body, clucking to himself. 'Just checking,' he calls it."

Kes laughed. :::I can see him now! Well, I hope your little one decides to stay inside you for the next several days so you can all attend, Captain. See you next week.:::

"Until next week," Kathryn replied, as the transmission ended.

"Social plans for next week? Cutting it a bit close, aren't you?" Chakotay asked, as he walked into their living area, carrying a large box filled with items from their bedroom drawers. He rested the box on the floor next to her desk and knelt beside her chair, placing his hand gently over her abdomen. "Our little Edward Kolopack is exceptionally active today."

"He must be looking forward to Kes' meeting, too," she said softly.

"I guess if the Doctor accompanies us, it will be OK."

"I'm not due for three more weeks, Chakotay, and we _will_ be living on New Earth by next week."

"True. I guess I'd better get back to packing for our move. I'm finding all sorts of things I didn't realize we had."

"That always happens with a move. You don't realize how much you collect until you have to decide whether or not it's worth moving to the next place."

"Too true," Chakotay chuckled. "You still need to finish cleaning out your Ready Room, don't you?"

"I'm almost done with the personal items. Everything official stays for Tuvok's use, of course."

"Don't you dare carry that box of personal items! You know what the Doctor said!"

"I will yield to your superior physical strength when it comes to the picking up of boxes," she retorted. She wasn't the first woman to deliver her first child when she was well into her forties, and she doubted that she'd be the last. Uncharacteristically, she was listening to (most of) her husband's admonishments, not to mention the Doctor's medical advice. This baby was likely to be the only one she would ever bear. She intended to follow Dr. Zimmerman's most officious demands to protect her precious offspring. The Delta Quadrant had claimed enough of her own in the past. Hopefully, this new generation would have a much safer future.

Her maternity leave was to begin tomorrow. When _Voyager II_ and _Odyssey_ returned to the Alpha Quadrant, after the arrival of _Columbia_ and _Vanguard_, the fourth and fifth transwarp vessels completed at Utopia Planitia, Kathryn would not be on the bridge of _Voyager II_. She had yet to decide if she would tender her resignation from Starfleet; Kathryn had been offered a job by her friend Ambassador Daeja Thev to serve as an attaché. The job was hers, assuming the position was approved by the admiralty. Dae had already submitted all the paperwork. It was as close to a sure thing as there ever was, as the opening needed to be filled. The position had belonged to Dae herself before her promotion to ambassador. The Andorian assured Kathryn she could manage things until she was ready to return to active duty. "It's not like I haven't already been doing both jobs since we got to the Delta Quadrant!" Dae had confided. "At least now I don't have to deal with my predecessor and his ego!"

The prospect of remaining in the Delta Quadrant delighted Chakotay. He was deeply involved in planning for the forthcoming University of New Earth, which was advancing swiftly. A career path on New Earth already existed for her husband.

Kathryn could not avoid the irony: it might be her destiny to become a permanent resident of the Delta Quadrant after all. She'd kept her promise to her crew. She'd gotten them home first. At least she would not be the one who would have to put up with the ranting of ex-Ambassador Shuba Diaza. He finally would get to take that long vacation on Andor he had told everyone constantly that he wanted. It might turn out to be a permanent vacation, if recent rumors Dae had heard from diplomatic corps contacts turned out to be true. Putting up with Diaza on the trip back to the Alpha Quadrant would be the problem of Captain Geordi La Forge, not Kathryn Janeway.

Poor Geordi!

* * *

On Dedication Day, the weather could not be more perfect. The sky was cloudless, the temperature mild. "It's too pretty a day to spend indoors," Kathryn remarked, as she walked with her husband to the place they were to meet the rest of their party.

Angelo Tessoni, the builder and chief designer of the halls to be dedicated on this day, had wanted his wife Tal Celes to be able to come see one of the chief fruits of his labors over the past few months. Tal was even closer to delivering her first child than Kathryn was, and she was extremely grumpy. Tal's pregnancy had already lasted months longer than a typical Bajoran one, thanks to Angelo's human genome.

Since Dr. Mark Zimmerman had insisted upon coming along to "monitor" Kathryn and had demanded site-to-site transport rather than risk a turbulent trip in a shuttle, Tal was able to travel that way, too. The Doctor had refrained from mentioning Chakotay's sad history with flying shuttles, but Kathryn was under no illusions. It was definitely a factor in his recommendation. The flight from the Federation colony's location, where both couples currently lived, to the new Ocampan settlement would last at least two hours. A virtually instantaneous trip via transporter rather than a long shuttle flight suited Kathryn just fine - quite literally "just what the Doctor ordered."

The transporter delivered them to what would soon be the central governmental complex of the Ocampan colony. Angelo was to give them a verbal tour of their surroundings before heading into the hall. He had specified their position on the transporter pad so that, when they arrived, they all faced east.

The new city rested upon a plateau, nestled against the foothills of the Caretaker Range. The name itself was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, yet the Ocampa did wish to acknowledge their Nacene entities. They may have been careless, ruining the environment of their original home world, but at least they were responsible enough to do what they could to help the Ocampa people survive until they were able to travel elsewhere, to a place where they could live and thrive. The peaks of the mountains would still be visible, Angelo assured them, even after the buildings around the square were completed. The city planners had taken care to situate the buildings so as to preserve the views as much as possible.

The mountains themselves were not particularly grand, but several were tall enough for the tops to be bare of trees, revealing the granite from which they were constituted. Green forests clothed the sides of the mountains below the tree line, down to the rivers which rushed through them on their way to the sea.

Angelo pointed towards the mountains. "They've already set aside three large tracts up there for wildlife and nature preserves. One area has a really pretty gorge cutting through a great many layers of rock strata. It's not exactly the Grand Canyon, but the varying colors are beautiful. There's another tract with a series of caverns laced through the lower reaches of the mountains. They took a survey during the planning stages, and just about every one of the responses mentioned they should commemorate their lives beneath the surface in some way. Kes told me the presence of the caves was one of the main reasons they chose this region for their settlement. They also liked that the area is fairly close to an estuary that leads to the sea. The Ocampa just love the water. You should see the construction crews when it rains. They don't stop working; they make excuses to go on errands to other worksites so they can walk around in the rain. They practically dance in it."

"They'll get tired of that soon enough," Dr. Zimmerman sniffed.

"I don't know if the generation born on Ocampa will ever take surface water for granted," Chakotay said thoughtfully. "When I was working with Mendeley and the rest of his team cataloguing artifacts, he mentioned that the lack of sufficient water for their growing population had worried everyone before Kes returned with her news about New Earth."

"I heard that from my work crews, too," Angelo replied. "It influenced the design of all of the buildings."

"Speaking of the artifacts, where are the natural history and art museums going to be located?" asked Chakotay.

"Right in front of you, on the east side of the square. We've only got the foundation for the first one laid out so far. Other buildings have a higher priority. As soon as we've finished at least one of the governmental buildings on the north and south sides of the square, we'll tackle the first museum building. The central library and archives will be on that side, too."

"Speaking of finished buildings, can we go into the one you've already finished, Angelo? I see more people arriving for this event, and my feet are starting to hurt," Tal complained.

"Of course, my dear. Turn around now for your first view of Martis-Benaren Memorial Hall."

The group obeyed Angelo, collectively gasping in appreciation. At the summit of a half-dozen broad steps, almost a meter deep and more like ledges than stairs, soared the main building. White duroplast walls sparkled subtly in the sunlight as they curved upwards to meet at the apex of the roofline.

"Angelo, it's beautiful!" Tal murmured, as the group stood for a while to examine and admire Angelo's handiwork.

"It looks like a huge, overturned rowboat, resting on the shoreline," Chakotay observed.

"That's the look we were going for. They wanted a shape to remind them of the grand height of the main caverns beneath Ocampa, but with plenty of natural light streaming inside through large windows," Angelo said. "Since their original world was so dry, I thought they'd appreciate something that looked like a boat which could travel on the rivers and oceans their people had lost, but now had found again. I came up with that idea even before I heard them talking about boats floating on the waters of their new home. They went wild when I mentioned the concept, so, here it is."

"I can understand the appeal. It's not an accident they wanted to locate their colony along the shoreline of the sea. It's lovely. I must say, Angelo, " Kathryn said, "you have one thing necessary in a great architect: vision."

"I can't claim to be anything other than a builder," Angelo demurred, "I had plenty of help from some very skilled Vidiian architects. We also ran simulations with our Starfleet engineering staff to double check stresses and variances and such. A lot of the materials are starship grade. This building should stand here for a very long time, no matter what sort of weather New Earth throws at it."

"You may have had assistance with the technical end, but, to echo our captain, it is your artistic vision which makes this building memorable."

As he spoke, the Doctor held out his right arm for Kathryn while Chakotay offered her his left. Kathryn took hold of both of their arms and allowed the two of them to all but carry her up the stairway. Independence, for once, was of lesser importance than securely climbing the steps. She was well aware the Doctor could have insisted they transport up to the top step. It was a good thing he hadn't thought of it. If he had, she would have missed the full impact of the building as viewed from the center of the plaza, not to mention the view of the mountains and foothills Angelo had just showed them.

Angelo held out his arm to support his wife Tal Celes as they followed the others up the stairway. "You have no need to be at all concerned today, Tal," Dr. Mark Zimmerman reassured her. "I am just as prepared to assist with an emergency Bajoran delivery as I am to succor Captain Janeway, if the need should arise."

"Thank you, Doctor Mark. I'm sure that won't be necessary," Celes said. She tugged on her husband's arm to stop him from ascending the last step and turned to him, whispering, "If anything happens, please have me transported back to the colony infirmary, Angelo. Please?"

"I'll try," Angelo answered, "but you know how he can get."

Tal groaned in reply.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Angelo said, "If you think the hall looks good from the outside, wait until you see the inside."

"Martis-Benaren Memorial Hall." Dr. Mark read the name carved above the door, first in Ocampan script, repeated in Federation Standard to the left, and in Vidiian on the right side of the doorway. "It's named in honor of Kes' parents, isn't it?"

"Yes," Angelo answered. "The Ocampa wanted to name it after her, but Kes told them she thought her parents' names would sound better."

Kathryn had to agree. While Kes Hall would be an appropriate honor for her friend, that name certainly didn't have any aesthetic flair. Her parents' names did. Before she could comment, however, they entered the doorway. When her eyes took in the sight before her, all Kathryn could say was, "Ah!"

"You weren't kidding about the interior of this place," Chakotay said for her.

From within, a detail that was not very noticeable from the outside was hard to miss. Every third panel, from front to back, was constructed of transparent aluminum instead of the duraplast of the structural panels. The top third of every transparent panel was embedded with small shapes, each tinted in a different color, just below where the panel joined the central beam of the roofline. At the very top, the shapes were geometric and formed a ceiling of sorts, although the only line of demarcation was the change in color. The center of each panel, however, bore the colorful image of an animal. As the sunlight filtered through, those sitting in the seats below were splashed with alternating patterns of clear sunlight, shade from the outline of the figures, and patches of vivid color. While the shape of the panels created a building reminiscent of the Sydney Opera House on Earth, the overall effect more strongly reminded Kathryn of the grand cathedrals of Europe, with their stunning windows of stained glass.

Chakotay pointed to the images. "Angelo, those are the artifact animals, right?"

"Yes," Angelo replied. "You won't see any of them here on New Earth. Each design was taken from one of the works of art you helped catalog from that hidden closet in the caverns. They don't even know the names of most of the animals, do they, Chakotay?"

"The teams are working on that. They hope they'll be able to figure out most of them eventually from the literature. They've also uncovered a lot of previously unknown written records from before 'cavern time,' as they've started to call their underground exile. It's amazing what people find when they're packing for a move."

"It's breathtaking," Kathryn said. "Those windows look almost like illuminated manuscripts on glass instead of parchment."

Celes wordlessly squeezed her husband's hand; her face glowing with pride at her husband's achievement.

"Well, well, Mr. Tessoni, this is quite a lovely hall, I must agree," Dr. Zimmerman said approvingly. "How are the acoustics? With the shape of the interior, I suspect this would be an excellent venue for musical performances."

"Yes, Doctor. We had the acoustics checked out by the engineers, and they're great in here. This hall will be used for concerts, dramatic performances - for many purposes, whenever a large group of Ocampa need a place to meet," Angelo confirmed.

A number of invitees were entering the hall. Ushers directed the two couples and Dr. Zimmerman down the central aisle to the front, where they were placed in the third row, next to Neelix and his wife Sarexa, the Colony and Talaxian Ambassadors, respectively, and Captain Jixtan. An assortment of dignitaries from the Delta Quadrant surrounded them. A few minutes later, Captain La Forge, Lieutenant Commander Kim, Acting Captain Tuvok and his wife T'Pel, Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres were seated in the row directly in back of them. "Dignitary Row, I see," Tom remarked. "It's good to know the architect."

"We're friends of Kes, Tom. I think that probably has more to do with it," B'Elanna noted.


	2. Chapter 2

The dedication ceremony was far more mundane than the building itself. Kathryn thought the majority of the speeches were rather bland, confirming her belief that celebrations like this, although sincerely meant to honor the building, its creators, and the people who would utilize it, had to contain one universal component for occasions such as these: boring speeches by dignitaries. Only a few reached a higher level. President Chimeral Dop's speech was one, displaying his skills as an orator and politician in the way he skillfully avoided giving Mupano Industries too much credit for the day's events while lauding Denara Pel, Project Pathfinder, and Starfleet for their aid and support for the migration of hundreds of thousands of Vidiian and Ocampan citizens, giving them a chance to build new lives on New Earth.

Ambassador and temporary colony governor Daeja Thev's speech was also a highlight. While relatively short, it was filled with humor, sincere good wishes, and heartfelt praise for the accomplishment of the Ocampa people. She asked Angelo Tessoni to stand in front of the gathering, explaining his role as builder and primary designer, not only of this magnificent building, but of the entire complex. When Angelo took his seat again, amid the cheers of the attendees, his smile was the broadest Kathryn could ever recall gracing his face. The man cast off by Starfleet because of the catastrophe that was the _Equinox_ had found his true calling here on New Earth. Kathryn appreciated Dae's speech all the more because the alternative would have been a long and pompous one from Diaza, if he were still the ambassador/governor, in which case she doubted Angelo would have been recognized, let alone given credit for his work.

Kathryn was pleased she hadn't been asked to speak. Looking as she did now, she would not have wanted to address such a large crowd from the stage. On this day, Martis-Benaren Hall held almost one thousand people, many of them standees. She knew she'd have to endure being introduced to the crowd; Dae had warned her that was coming. Kathryn didn't know who would accord her the honor, although Chakotay had assured her he'd make sure she could get to her feet quickly when her name was called, even if he had to push her erect by the butt.

When she heard the end of Dae's speech, Kathryn realized who would acknowledge her. Dae closed her remarks by saying, "I have been given the singular honor of introducing our final speaker, without whom this hall and, indeed, the settlement of New Earth by the Vidiian, the Trabe, and the Ocampan peoples, as well as those who have come with me from the Federation, could never have come about. I give you the architect of the Ocampan migration: Kes."

A broadly smiling Kes walked to the podium to a standing ovation from the audience. By the time she had waved down the cheers so she could begin her speech, a combination of gold and red light from tinted areas of the panels streamed over her, burnishing her hair and body with a halo of color. "She's our rosy cheeked golden girl again today, Chakotay," Kathryn observed to her husband, whispering softly, remembering the sweet but strong Ocampan who had joined _Voyager's_ crew so many years ago.

"I thank you for your very kind words, Ambassador Thev, but you give me too much credit. I certainly didn't do it alone. I had a tremendous amount of help, from so many people. Let me introduce some of them to you . . ." After naming several Ocampa who were not already on the dais, as well as a few who were, Kes acknowledged Dr. Denara Pel, Vidiian President Dop, her Fluidian friends Boothby and Valeria, Captain Jixtan of the _Victorious Morning_, and President Dop's son-in-law Jervan Chal as being integral to the success of the colony's establishment. Kes thanked Captains La Forge, Merves, and Tuvok for all of their assistance, as well as the Haakonian and Krowtonen Guard captains and their crews who were still helping to guard Ocampa during the migration.

As promised, Chakotay helped Kathryn to her feet when Kes called her name, although he took to his feet and pulled her up by her hands rather than by the inelegant manner he had threatened. Kes had called his name with Kathryn's. The other _Voyager_ crew members in attendance were also asked to stand and wave to the crowd. Finally, Kes announced, "And last, but certainly not least - Ambassador Neelix of Talax, who rescued me from slavery and went with me on an incredible adventure on _Voyager_ that, in a way, has still not ended. Please, a very warm welcome and thank you to Ambassador Neelix and his lovely wife Sarexa."

As Neelix and Sarexa took their seats, Kes sighed. "There are so many more people I should thank for helping us in all our endeavors, but I'm sure most have you are more than ready for the speeches to end!" A ripple of laughter swept through the audience. "There _are_ two more people I must acknowledge today. You know their names if you know the name of this wonderful edifice. My father Benaren and my mother Martis always believed in me. They encouraged me to study and to think, to be brave and resourceful, and most of all, they told me they were sure that some day, I would see the sun. And I did see the sun. I saw stars and planets and nebulas and all sorts of wonders. But I also met people in pain, people who needed healing, who needed a place to call home. Thanks to my parents, I was able to act on what I believed was right and necessary, not only for my own people, but for others who needed my help. My parents are not here in person today. I cannot ask them to stand up and take a bow for all they have done for me, and by extension, for all of you. But I am sure their spirits are here with us today, as are the spirits of all of our ancestors. Let us thank them for bringing us to this day, and, with the help of the United Federation of Planets in the Alpha Quadrant, to a new day for all who have joined together to form our new Delta Quadrant Confederation of Worlds."

The applause was thunderous, but Chakotay spoke loudly enough for Kathryn to hear. "Our friends the Romulans will not be too happy when they read the transcript of that speech. I wonder where they are today? I can already hear them screaming about 'expansionist Federation policies'!"

"I believe they left three days ago to visit a planet Boothby thought might be just the ticket for their own foothold in the Delta Quadrant."

"Smart man, that Boothby."

* * *

After the "speechifying," as Tom called it, was finally over, Kathryn and her former staff on the original _Voyager_, including Tal and Angelo, Harry Kim and Captain Geordi La Forge from _Odyssey_, drifted through the crowd towards the stage.

"I'm glad you could make it, Kathryn. I have to say you look ready to pop at any moment," Daeja Thev observed. She glanced over at Tal Celes and did a double take. "Let me amend that. _Both_ of you look ready to pop at any moment!"

"We are, Ambassador, we are," Tal replied wearily. "In fact, Angelo, I think we need to go home. Now."

"We will, Celes, but first, doesn't that man standing next to the Vidiian president look awfully familiar?"

"Jim Morrow!" Celes cried out joyfully, waving enthusiastically at the man on the stage. "Oh, Jim! How are you doing? It's been too long!"

Deputy Director James Morrow of the newly renamed Delta Quadrant Confederation Security Force looked towards his boss, Director Jerzan Chal. At Jerzan's acknowledgement he would cover for him, Jim jumped down the steps of the platform, hugging Tal first, before shaking hands with his former compatriots and ship mates. By the time he reached Kathryn and Chakotay, he was almost out of breath but beaming. He shook both of their hands firmly before his former captain reached up to give him an awkward hug, awkward because of her belly, not because of anything other than genuine happiness for the man.

"You look great, Morrow. How is it, being back in a uniform again?" Chakotay asked.

"Commander, it feels perfect."

"The Vidiians are treating you well, then." Kathryn stated it as a truth, not as a question.

"Captain, this is what I always wanted. I thought I'd lost any chance of doing this again. At first, I didn't think I wanted to come back with Angelo and the other colonists. If Ro Laren of Deep Space Nine hadn't encouraged me, I'd probably be in prison or in some ditch somewhere back in the Alpha Quadrant by now. By coming back, I found people who can understand what we did, because they did terrible things in desperation, too. Chal said that to me when he recruited me. He said we could help each other find redemption. And I'm trying. I'll continue to try, for the rest of my life."

"We're happy for you, Jim. Come see us if you can when you visit Tal and Angelo. We're planning on living here on New Earth for the foreseeable future."

"I'll do that. And congratulations to both of you on the new sprout!"

* * *

Eventually, when the meeting and greeting with the various dignitaries had wound down, Kes came down to her friends. "Follow me to the reception I told you about. It's in another building in this complex."

"I don't think we can come, Kes," Angelo said. "Tal wants to go back home and put up her feet."

"I'm sorry you'll miss it, but I'm sure the others can tell you all about it."

"We can arrange a site-to-site for you from _Odyssey,"_ Geordi La Forge offered. "I should get back there myself. " Angelo and Tal thanked Captain La Forge. The three shimmered away barely a minute later.

Kes led the rest of the group to a much smaller hall. The sides and roof of the building echoed the shape of the Martis-Benaren Hall, except that instead of the elongated oval base featured in the main hall, the smaller building's base was almost round. "Like a coracle," Tom said.

"Like a what?" Chakotay inquired.

"A coracle. It's a little boat that was used from very ancient times in Ireland. It had a wooden framework covered in skins. Angelo said he thought of making the roof look like it was made of leather at first, but then he decided it would make a better impression if all three buildings in the complex matched."

"Tom, if I'm not mistaken, you must have been a consultant on this building," Kathryn said.

"Hey, I like boats. You know that."

"And ancient cars, and fast shuttles, and corny space ships . . ." B'Elanna added with a sigh.

* * *

When Kes entered the reception, everyone present stood and applauded her for several minutes. Vertris, one of the Ocampan dignitaries, invited Kes to be the first to take a selections of treats from the line of tables around half the perimeter of the room. For quite a while, the room was filled with the happy buzzing of people enjoying good food and drink and congenial company. Kathryn estimated that about one hundred Ocampa were in attendance, which Kes confirmed. "We have about a dozen who used to live on the Qizal-Corana station, and the rest are from the caverns." The remaining twenty or so guests were primarily connected to _Voyager_ in some way.

When most of the food and drink had been consumed, Kes circulated around the room, asking the guests to take a seat. The chairs were moveable. Kes had them set up in a "theater in the round" type of arrangement. After most of the crowd had done as she asked, Kes walked into the open space in the center of the room. "Settle down, everyone, please! I have something very important to share with you all."

The _Voyager_ contingent sat together, on one side of the circle, surrounding Kathryn and Chakotay. Kathryn was glad when the rumbling of voices finally ceased and Kes could begin whatever it was she had to say.

"I know most of the Ocampa in this room know each other, and I know that you all know and have had a chance to work recently with Commander Tuvok and his wife T'Pel. I'm sure you also know the other people from _Voyager_ by reputation, if not personally." When Kes waved in the direction of the _Voyager_ group, Tom waved back enthusiastically, eliciting laughter from the crowd when B'Elanna elbowed him to stop.

"I know you all know our people's story, how the Caretaker and Suspiria were visitors from another galaxy who managed to ruin our home world by accident. They felt badly about what they did, but they couldn't undo the damage. So instead, they 'protected' us in their own way. They protected us almost to extinction." The crowd murmured. While this was an old story to them, the injustice still rankled.

"As we all know, the Caretaker and Suspiria were very long-lived, but they weren't immortal. Suspiria took a group to live on a space station, and when she was dying, moved them to a place that provided economic opportunity but little safety. And the Caretaker stole ships from the other side of the galaxy to try to get help for himself and us, but he never sent any of those poor people back. That's how I came to travel on the first _Voyager_ for three years. Tuvok and others helped me discover things about myself then that I believe will make a tremendous difference to all of us in the future." Kes turned to Kathryn. "Captain Janeway, when you met the Caretaker just before he died, what did he say was the reason he had to protect the Ocampa?"

When Kathryn seemed reluctant to answer, Kes added, "Did he say we were children, and that's why he had to protect us?

Reluctantly, Kathryn confirmed, "Yes that's what he said."

Kes replied, "I actually believe he may have been right about our being 'children,' although since he was wrong about so many other things, I don't think even _he_ knew how true that was. But his idea of 'protection' was to provide us with food that shortened our lifespans and reduced our fertility, so that in only a few generations, with every generation of only one child born for each female's solitary Elogium, we would have died out."

Kes turned in another direction, to face the group from the Qizal-Corana system station. "Suspiria did help you learn more about your mental possibilities, and she permitted you to live lives of fifteen to twenty years. That's probably in keeping with our natural spans. Still, most races live that long during their formative years, as children, before going on to much longer lives as adults. Is it an accident that the lives we have known are no longer than the childhoods of most races? I don't think so."

"When I went along with Neelix on _Voyager_, it was in the spirit of adventure, and I certainly found it! I learned about many people along the way, here in the Delta Quadrant, and from the Starfleet databases about people in the other three quadrants. I met the people on Suspiria's station not long before I met the Fluidians, in that first very terrible First Contact with their race, when the Borg attacked them." Kes pointed to the back of the room and waved to two individuals, who were both in their natural "skins" if not shapes. "I'm so sorry for mistaking you for the aggressors then, Boothby and Valeria!"

Boothby answered, "Plenty of blame for that misunderstanding on everyone's part, Kes. I'm just glad we all understand each other better now. May it always be so."

Kes smiled back at him before continuing, "As painful as some of those experiences were, all of them led me back here, to this day. On _Voyager_, Tuvok worked with me, as he has with you over the past few months, to open my mind to the telepathic heritage of our people. On Suspiria's station, I met Tanis, who broadened my understanding of the possibilities of the mind - and of its dangers, too, if misused. Then, when I met the Fluidians, my mental growth accelerated so quickly and completely that I came to an epiphany. I had to leave _Voyager_ because of a change that came over me: a change that we Ocampa call the Morilogium."

The crowd erupted in shock. A man shouted out to her, "No, Kes, that can't be! You're still here with us now!"

Kes waited a moment for the rumbling to subside. "Ah, yes, you think the Morilogium is the end of life, that it's death, as the other races around us call it. But it's not so! If we develop our minds the way we were meant to, the Morilogium is a transformation, not an end. As other races leave childhood, they change physically into their adult forms. I believe we live what we think of as short lives because it is our childhood that we 'see.' The 'adult' form of the Ocampa is a being of pure energy, like an Alpha Quadrant race I learned about called the Organians." Kes began to pace around the circle, making eye contact with as many of her people as she could as she faced in each direction. Tension permeated the atmosphere. Kathryn could see that many of the Ocampa were not sure if what their "Auntie Kes" was telling them could be true.


End file.
